Last week General Motors announced they will start manufacturing the Chevrolet Equinox at its plant in Tennessee. They also plan to start producing additional midsized cars there in the near future. The $244 million investment is expected to create almost 1,900 jobs at the former Saturn plant located just outside of Nashville. To get the ball rolling, General Motors will initially invest $61 million and plans to generate nearly 700 jobs to...
With the economy seemingly inching towards recovery, manufacturing managers seem to be more confident in posting more job positions. However, as we discussed previously, filling these positions with skilled workers has proven to be a difficult task. Many prospective hires are in fact hard working individuals eager to work. But often they lacked the essential skills necessary to work effectively and efficiently in a plant. So, how can manufacturers ensure their new...
When it comes to training industrial employees, creating a program that is tailored to your organizations specific needs is key. If your training initiatives are not planned with your employees in mind, there’s a good chance you will not achieve your desired outcome. As a manager your priority is to make sure the implemented training program is effective and maximizes your return on investment. Here are a few tips to ensure your...
The Labor Department reports the number of unemployment applications fell in the first week of November. The number of applications dropped to the lowest level since April 2011. The drop in applications may be an indication that employers are beginning to feel comfortable hiring again. Additionally, the Commerce Department announced the U.S trade deficit reached its lowest point of the year in September 2011. With foreign sales of American machinery reaching an...
The need for advanced skilled workers in the manufacturing industry is at an all-time high. With baby boomers beginning to retire, a new era of skilled workers will need to be trained and developed in order to run a plant smoothly and successfully. Since 2007, nearly 2.4 million manufacturers have been laid off. However, despite the fact that these trade workers are looking to fill the 600,000 job openings, manufacturers are looking...
With the national unemployment rate reaching around 9% it may seem hard to understand why so many job postings have gone unfilled. But in the manufacturing industry, it’s actually not such a hard concept to grasp. The reason being, most job opening are left unfilled due to the lack of technical and industrial skills. And as the gap between what’s available and what is needed widens, the necessity for a workforce that...
Across America, many manufacturers are taking the necessary steps to assure their business will succeed in the coming generations. Last week we discussed the benefits of Lean Manufacturing, however this is not the only way to steer plants towards increased productivity through practice improvement. In early October, the American Small Manufacturers Coalition outlined steps that manufacturers can take to stay ahead of the curve in the “2011 Next Generation Manufacturing Study.” The...